Heat-Shrinkable Holder for Articles and Heat-Shrinkable Package of Articles

ABSTRACT

A heat-shrinkable holder is disclosed for securing a plurality of articles. The holder may include a first sheet formed of heat-shrinkable material, and a second sheet formed of heat-shrinkable material and joined to the first sheet. The first sheet and the second sheet each have a substantially equal pre-shrinking length, and are joined so as to create at least two openings therebetween. Each of the openings is sized larger than one of the articles. The first and second sheets are heat-shrinkable to an extent to shrink the openings sufficiently to secure two of the articles together into a unit. Various modifications and additions are possible, including use of more than three sheets, providing for the reading of printed indicia on the articles or holder, providing a handle. Numerous orientations and collections of articles are possible. Related packages including a holder and articles are also disclosed, as well as related methods of manufacture of the holder and package.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to and is a continuation-in-partapplication of application Ser. No. 11/384,031, filed on Mar. 17, 2006,and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a heat-shrinkable holder forsecuring articles, a package securing such articles usingheat-shrinkable sheets, and a method of securing such articles usingheat-shrinkable sheets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Articles such as beverage containers are often secured together usingthermoplastic ring-type carriers. Some such carriers are sometimes knownas “six-pack” carriers, although carriers for holding various numbers ofcontainers have been used. Typically, such carriers comprise a flexibleplastic, for example made from a low-density polyethylene. The carriershave openings formed smaller than the containers. The carriers arestretched over a suitably positioned group of the containers. Whenreleased, the openings conform to the sides of the containers, therebyunitizing the containers into a package.

The characteristics of the plastics used in such stretch-loaded carriersare such that it can be difficult to remove individual containers orgroups of containers together due he the amount of force required. Inparticular, the complexity of manufacture and use of such carriersincreases substantially with the number of containers being held by thecarrier. Also, the carriers used are generally small strips, locatedaround the top portion of the containers, for example along a ridge atthe top of a can. The plastics are thus not susceptible to carryingprinted indicia, and are typically not sufficiently transparent ortranslucent so as to allow the view of any indicia on the containersbeing held. Also, a fair amount of force and complicated machinery isrequired to stretch the carriers so as to place them over thecontainers. Therefore, although stretch-loaded carriers have been usedfor many years, various drawbacks do exist with regard to stretch-loadedcarriers.

In conventional shrink-wrapping, a load is fed to a wrapping zone inwhich a shrink-wrap film is placed on the load in some fashion. The filmis cut into pieces or sheets before or during the placement on the load.Typically, the film makes a complete revolution around the load so thattwo cut ends overlap. The load and film are then passed into a heatingtunnel causing the film to shrink and compress against the load.Typically, the film is cut into sheets large enough to allow for someoverlap between edges when placed on the load. During the heatingprocess, the edges may therefore be sealed together forming a unitarypackage.

Groups of articles such as containers have been wrapped with shrink-wrapin such fashion previously. However, due to the nature of conventionalshrink-wrapping, the film extends only around the outside of thearticles. Therefore, individual articles may not be removed withoutcompromising the integrity of the entire package, and individualarticles may contact each other while packaged, possibly leading todamage. To address issues such as thee, sometimes, articles are evenplaced in a first container such as a box or a stretch wrap carrier, andthen shrink-wrapped. Such packaging adds cost and wastes material.

Accordingly, an improved holder for articles such as containers, animproved package of unitized containers, and improved methods ofpackaging would be welcome, addressing one or more of the abovedrawbacks of conventional packaging technology, and/or otherdisadvantages of currently available technology.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to certain aspects of the invention, a heat-shrinkable holderis disclosed for securing a plurality of articles, the holder includinga first sheet formed of heat-shrinkable material and having apre-shrinking length, and a second sheet formed of heat-shrinkablematerial substantially equal to the first sheet pre-shrinking length,the second sheet being joined to the first sheet. The first sheet andthe second sheet are joined so as to create at least two openingstherebetween, each of the openings sized larger than one of thearticles, the first and second sheets being heat-shrinkable to an extentto shrink the openings sufficiently to secure two of the articlestogether into a unit. Various options and modifications are possible.

For example, the holder may include two of the first sheets and two ofthe second sheets joined together in a unit, and the holder may beconfigured with a plurality of openings arranged in to rows and/or withsix openings for securing six articles in a two-by-three arrangement.

The articles may be arranged so that they do not contact each otherdirectly when secured. At least one of the first or second sheets mayinclude printed indicia relating to the article. The first and secondsheets are may be joined via at least one of heating or an adhesive. Theopenings may have an internal circumference larger than an outercircumference of the article to be placed therein. The holder may beformed in a group of separable holders formed sequentially from thefirst and second sheets, and perforations may be provided for separatingadjacent holders formed from the first and second sheets. The holder mayfurther include a handle extending from at least one of the first andsecond sheets, and the articles may be containers. At least one of thefirst or second sheets may include perforations configured for allowingan article to be removed from the unit after heat shrinking.

According to other aspects of the invention, a package of articles isdisclosed including a plurality of articles, a first sheet formed ofheat-shrinkable material and having a pre-shrinking length, and a secondsheet formed of heat-shrinkable material substantially equal to thefirst sheet pre-shrinking length, the second sheet being joined to thefirst sheet. The first sheet and the second sheet are joined so as tocreate at least two openings therebetween, each of the openings sizedlarger than one of the articles, the first and second sheets beingheat-shrinkable to an extent to shrink the openings sufficiently tosecure two of the articles together into a unit. As above, variousoptions and modifications are possible.

According to other aspects of the invention, a package of articles isdisclosed including a plurality of articles, and at least four sheets ofheat-shrunken material having substantially equal pre-shrinking lengths,the sheets being joined at a plurality of discrete joinder portionsthereby forming a plurality of openings arranged in at least two rows,each opening sized to secure an article therein, the heat-shrunkenmaterial and articles thereby forming a unitary heat-shrunken packageconfigured with a plurality of articles arranged in at least two rows.As above various options and modifications are possible.

For example, the package may be configured so that the articles aredrawn together in two perpendicular directions by the shrinking, and/orwith the openings arranged in a two-by-four arrangement or atwo-by-three arrangement. The package may be configured so that articlesdo not contact each other directly when secured.

According to certain other aspects of the invention, a heat-shrinkableholder is disclosed for securing a plurality of articles, the holderincluding at least four sheets of heat-shrunken material havingsubstantially equal pre-shrinking lengths, the sheets being joined at aplurality of discrete joinder portions thereby forming a plurality ofopenings arranged in at least two rows, each of the openings sizedlarger than one of the articles, the sheets being heat-shrinkable to anextent to shrink the openings sufficiently to secure two of the articlestogether into a unit having at least two rows of articles. Again,various options and modifications are possible.

According to other aspects of the invention, a method of packagingarticles is disclosed including providing a first sheet ofheat-shrinkable material, the first sheet defining a plurality ofpre-shrinking holder lengths; providing a second sheet ofheat-shrinkable material, the second sheet defining a plurality ofpre-shrinking holder lengths substantially equal to those of the firstsheet; joining the first sheet to the second sheet at discrete joinderportions spaced along the first and second sheet so as to form aplurality of openings, each opening located between each adjacent pairof joinder portions, the joinder forming a plurality of holders eachhaving the pre-shrinking holder lengths of the first and second sheets;inserting an article into each of the openings; and heating the firstand second sheets to shrink the first and second sheets thereby forminga unitary package of the sheets and the inserted articles. Variousoptions and modifications are possible with this method as well.

For example, the method may further include cutting the first and secondsheets to form an article holder of the pre-shrinking holder lengthbefore the heating step. Also, the method may further include providingtwo of the first and second sheets of heat-shrinkable material. Themethod may involve joining the first and second sheets so as to form aplurality of openings arranged in two rows. Also, the method may includeforming perforations in at least one of the first or second sheets toallow removal of individual articles. The joining step may be achievedby at least one of applying an adhesive or applying heat. The method mayfurther include opening the openings before the inserting step. Theopening step may include one of blowing a gas, applying suction, orusing one or more mechanical fingers to open the openings. The articlesmay be containers, and the first and second sheets are sized so thatduring the heating step the articles are drawn together in twoperpendicular directions. The method may include providing a handle forthe package.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective schematic view of one possible lineconfiguration of a line for manufacturing heat-shrinkable holdersaccording to certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a perspective schematic view of one possible lineconfiguration of a line for placing articles in heat-shrinkable holdersso as to create a package.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of one example of an empty heat shrinkableholder.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the heat shrinkable holder as in FIG.2A, with articles located within the openings of the holder, beforeheat-shrinking.

FIG. 2C is a perspective view of the holder and articles as in FIG. 2B,after heat-shrinking

FIG. 3 is a top view of a heat-shrunken holder as in FIG. 2C, with thearticles removed for clarity.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an alternate heat-shrunken holder andarticles, as in FIG. 2C, wherein the holder includes perforations forassisting in removing individual articles.

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of an alternate heat-shrunken holder andarticles, as in FIG. 2C, wherein the holder has a smaller verticaldimension.

FIG. 4C is a perspective view of an alternate heat-shrunken holder andarticles, as in FIG. 2C, wherein the articles are held by two holders asin FIG. 4B.

FIG. 4D is a perspective view of an alternate heat-shrunken holder andarticles, as in FIG. 2C, wherein the holder is smaller and centrallylocated vertically along the articles.

FIG. 4E is a perspective view of an alternate heat-shrunken holder andarticles, as in FIG. 2C, wherein the holder includes printed indiciathereon.

FIG. 4F is a perspective view of an alternate heat-shrunken holder andarticles, as in FIG. 2C, wherein printed indicia on the articles may beseen through at least a portion of the holder, and including an optionalhandle.

FIG. 4G is a perspective view of an alternate heat-shrunken holder andarticles, as in FIG. 2C, wherein the holder extends along the entireside surfaces and at least partially onto the top and bottom surfaces ofthe articles.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of an alternate heat-shrunken holder andarticles, as in FIG. 2C, wherein the holder holds more articles in a twoby six arrangement.

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of an alternate heat-shrunken holder andarticles, as in FIG. 2C, wherein the holder holds more articles in athree by four arrangement.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of an alternate empty heat-shrinkableholder.

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the heat shrinkable holder as in FIG.6A, with articles located within the openings of the holder, beforeheat-shrinking.

FIG. 6C is a perspective view of the holder and articles as in FIG. 6B,after heat-shrinking.

FIG. 7 is a top view of a heat-shrunken holder as in FIG. 6C, with thearticles removed for clarity.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of an alternate heat-shrunken holder andarticles, wherein the holder includes an optional handle.

FIG. 8B is a perspective view of an alternate heat-shrunken holder andarticles, wherein the holder includes an alternate optional handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention,one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Eachexample is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and notmeant as a limitation of the invention. For example, featuresillustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used withanother embodiment to yield still a third embodiment. It is intendedthat the present invention include these and other modifications andvariations. In discussing various embodiments, like or similar referencenumerals are used below with like or similar parts of variousembodiments.

As described herein, a shrink-wrapping material may be used to formholder for articles. Preferably, the holder is formed from at least twosheets of the heat shrinkable material for holding at least one row ofarticles. However, more sheets and various configurations could beemployed. For example, three sheets could be used for two rows ofarticles, as in a conventional six-pack (two by three) arrangement. Ifdesired the sheets may have different properties, and all sheets neednot be heat-shrinkable. For example, one of two sheets may be heatshrinkable, or two of three sheets may be heat shrinkable, as discussedbelow. The non-shrinkable sheets may be provided for structuralstability (for example, use as a center sheet or a handle), for carryingprinted indicia, or for other purposes. The present disclosure alsoincludes various packages for holding articles, and methods for creatingsuch holders and packages.

FIGS. 1A through 3 disclose one possible method for manufacturing suchholders and creating such packages. The example used therein is for aconventional six-pack of cans. It should be understood also that thepresent invention has utility with various articles, not justcontainers, and with various containers, not just cans, as shown.

More particularly, FIG. 1A is a perspective schematic view of onepossible line configuration of a line for manufacturing heat-shrinkableholders, an example of which is shown in FIG. 2A. As shown in FIG. 1A,line 10 a includes film supply rolls 12, 14, 16 at one end and take uproll 18 at the other. Between the rolls lies a forming zone 20, wherefilm from rolls 12, 14, 16 is formed into holders for articles.

Forming zone 20 includes spreaders 22 and sealers 24. As shown in FIG.1A, spreaders 22 are rods inserted between films 26, 28, 30 to createopenings 32. At the rightmost end of forming zone 20, spreaders 22 a arebeing inserted between the films 26, 28, 30, closely adjacent to film28. Spreaders 22 generally travel along direction D with the films onceinserted. By the time spreaders 22 a move along direction D and reachthe position of spreaders 22 b, spreaders 22 a will have moved outwardfrom film 28 in the directions of arrows O. Simultaneously sealers 24are sealing films 26 and 30 to film 28. As illustrated, sealers 24 areheat-sealing devices, although other devices could be used to seal thefilms together, such as adhesive applying devices. Sealers 24 a hold andseal the films 26, 28, 30 together thereby forming joinder portionswhile spreader 22 a moves to the position of spreader 22 b. Then,another sealer 24 (not shown) will contact films 26, 28, 30 and sealthem together to create another opening (not shown) upstream fromopening 32 a.

As shown, each opening 32 is formed by one spreader 22 and two sealers24. It is also possible to form adjacent openings utilizing commonsealers 24 between them. Therefore, only one sealer set 24 could beprovided above and below the films between openings 32 a and 32 b, forexample. Such sealer set could make a single point contact, therebychanging the shapes of the openings a bit to widen them, or could extendalong direction D between openings 32 a and 32 b and seal the entirearea between sealers 24 b and 24 c. All openings 32 need not be the samesize. For example, the outermost openings may be larger than the centeropening in a common six pack arrangement (not different sizes ofopenings being formed in FIG. 1A). Thus, the loops of film 26 may havedifferent sizes along a given holder. Making the central loops smallermay help pull the resulting package together more tightly duringheat-shrinking.

Spreaders 22 and sealers 24 should remain in contact with films 26, 28,20 long enough to reliably seal them together to form a blank 42. Theamount of contact time may vary according to line speed, sealer type(heat versus adhesive), sealer temperature, film properties, etc. FIG.1A shows only one of the possible arrangements of spreader 22 and sealer24 contact ranges.

Spreaders 22 and sealers 24 may be moved laterally, vertically,pivotally, or some combination, into and out of place, by suitablemotors, drives, etc. For example, the spreaders and sealers may bemounted on a rotating device that places the elements in the upstreamposition, drives them in direction D, removes them in the downstreamposition, and then returns them to the upstream position. A programmablelogic controller, motors and sensors can be used to control suchmovement as desired. Various guide rollers 34, which may be driven oridlers, may be provided to guide the films thorough line 10 a. The filmsmay be paid off rolls 12, 14, 16 at different speeds to account for thedifferent lengths of films used in forming zone 20. That is, more offilms 26 and 30 is needed than of film 28, as configured in FIG. 1A.Some or all of the film supply rolls 12, 14, 16 may therefore be driven,and other flow controlling structures such as gimballing rollers or thelike may be used.

Perforating devices 36, 38, and 40, schematically shown in FIG. 1A, mayalso be employed, if desired. As shown, perforating device 36 perforatesall three films 26, 28, 30, so as to allow for division of the filmsinto separate holders. Perforating device 38 perforates film 26, andperforating device 40 perforates film 30. These latter perforationsallow individual articles to be removed from the formed holders later.Perforating devices 36, 38, 40 may be linearly or rotationally movingknife devices. Controllers and servomotors and the like may cause theperforating devices to operate at desired times, to achieve perforationswhere desired in the films.

Take up roll 18 may be eliminated if desired, and line 10 a of FIG. 1Amay lead directly to line 10 b of FIG. 1B. Alternatively, take up roll18 may be replaced by a box or the like, with the film material beingfan folded in place. Use of a box may provide easier splicing andchangeout opportunities, while use of a roll may provide more securecontrol and denser packaging. Either is an acceptable modification ofthat shown.

FIG. 1B is a perspective schematic view of one possible lineconfiguration of a line 10 b for placing articles in heat-shrinkableholders so as to create a package. As stated, lines 10 a and 10 b may bemerged into one line, eliminating the need for use of take up rolls 18,if desired. As shown, roll 18 supplies blank 42 material, comprising inFIG. 1B adjacent six-pack holders 100 separated by perforations 44formed by device 36. Blank 42 travels to an opening station 46, where anopener such as a blower 48, a suction device 49, or a mechanical fingerdevice 50, or some combination of both opens the openings 32 of holders100. Articles 102 are then loaded into openings 32 (see arrow L). Asshown, six cans are vertically moved into the openings 32. However, thearticles may instead be vertically stationary and the blank material maybe placed over the articles from above or below, if desired. Blank 42 isthen separated at perforations 44 by a divider 52 to form individualloaded holders. It is possible to not make the perforations whereillustrated in line 10 a, and to simply cut the blank 42 when indicatedin line 10 b. The loaded holders 100 are then passed into a heatingdevice 54 such as a heat tunnel. Any of the films within the holders 100that are heat-shrinkable will then contract, forming unitary packages200.

If desired, packages 200 may be further combined in various ways, suchas by heat sealing or shrinking or adhesives to create still largerpackages. For example, two six packs could be combined to create atwelve pack (see FIG. 5B); four six packs could be combined to create acase, etc. Also, packages 200 may be connected vertically.

It should be understood that the representations of FIGS. 1A and 1B arenot intended to be to scale and are schematic illustrations only. Itshould also be understood that the line10 a need not use three films;any number of films greater than two may be employed with modificationof the line. For example, two films could be used to create a linearcollection of articles. Four or five films could be used to create agrouping of articles three across (as opposed to two across).Modifications to the heat sealing and possible use of adhesives, whetherheat activated, heat cured, contact adhesives, or otherwise, could beused to create larger arrays of openings and larger packages.

FIGS. 2A-2C show enlarged views of a holder 100 and articles 102, inthis case cans. FIG. 2A shows a holder 100, as separated alongperforations 44. It would be possible to separate the holders 100 beforefilling them with articles 102, if desired. FIG. 2B shows six articles102 in openings 32 of holder 100 before heat shrinking FIG. 2C showsunitized package 200 after heat shrinking FIGS. 2B and 2C illustratethat heat-shrinking can beneficially cause the articles 102 to be pulledtogether in two perpendicular dimensions, that is along the line ofcentral film 28 and perpendicular to it. This shrinking helps ensure asolid unitized package 200. Adjacent articles 102 all have film betweentheir sides to the will not “clank” into each other, possibly damagingthe articles during handling or shipping. This is especially useful ifthe articles are containers, such as glass bottles. Also, the heatshrinking maintains the articles in a solid formation, as opposed tocertain container holders where the bottoms of the containers may swingout from the tops when moved about. Again, the disclosed holder 100prevents such swinging, and potentially prevents damage resultingtherefrom. Articles are unlikely to slip out of holder 100 due to thetensions caused by heat shrinking, making them easy to handle and carry.Also, the resulting unitary package can be readily stacked and or usedin displays. Because each article is packaged in its own heat-shrunkenopening, individual containers are readily removed without damaging theintegrity of the rest of the package.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a heat-shrunken holder 100 as in FIG. 2C, withthe articles removed for clarity. As seen, shrinking along the centralline followed by film 28 helps draw the six containers in to form aunitized shape, with all adjacent containers having at least onebuffering piece of film between them for protection. As can be seen, theamount of film used from films 26 and 30 is much greater than fromcentral film 28, and the outermost openings 32 are larger than thecentral openings. Based on the size and shape of the articles to bepackaged, the operation of forming zone 20 can be readily designed so asto achieve a desired resulting configuration. The amount of film usedfor outer films 26 and 30 may thus be two times more than that of film28, and could be as much as four or more times greater as well,depending on the application.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an alternate package 210 includingheat-shrunken holder 110 and articles 102, as in FIG. 2C, wherein theholder includes additional perforations 112 for assisting in removingthe individual articles. Perforations 112 are made by devices 38 and 40in line 10 a, as discussed above. As shown, two perforations 112 areprovided for each article 102, but more or fewer may be provided. Also,the area of film 114 between the perforations may be bonded to thearticle 102, if desired, for example, by an adhesive that could beapplied to the film or article, or activated during heat shrinking orotherwise. Thus, the holder 100 would provide a label for the article102 via film piece 114, eliminating the necessity of separately labelingthe article. (See FIG. 4E below for printed indicia on film).

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of an alternate heat-shrunken package 220including holder 120 and articles 102, as in FIG. 2C, wherein the holderhas a smaller vertical dimension. If desired, holder 120 may thus coverless of the articles, but the protective abilities may be lessened atsome point with a smaller holder. Also, the holder may be placed arounda bottle neck or along a can ridge, if desired.

FIG. 4C is a perspective view of an alternate heat-shrunken package 230including holder 120 and articles 102, as in FIG. 2C, wherein thearticles are held by two holders 120 as in FIG. 4B. Use of two smallerholders 120 requires less film than holder 100 and addresses protectionissues noted above, although assembly of the package 230 may be morecomplex.

FIG. 4D is a perspective view of another alternate package 240 includinga heat-shrunken holder 120 and articles 102, as in FIG. 2C, wherein theholder is smaller and centrally located vertically along the articles.Central location of a smaller holder may also address protection issueswhile reducing material used.

FIG. 4E is a perspective view of an alternate package 250 including aheat-shrunken holder 150 and articles 102, as in FIG. 2C, wherein theholder 150 includes printed indicia 152 thereon. The printed indicia 152may be individual elements or a common element across the variousarticles or across multiple packages, as desired. Thus all articlelabeling or supplemental article labeling may be accomplished via thepackage holder portion.

FIG. 4F is a perspective view of an alternate package 260 including aheat-shrunken holder 160 and articles 102, as in FIG. 2C, whereinprinted indicia 162 on the articles 102 may be seen through at least aportion of the holder, and including an optional handle 164. In thisembodiment, the outer films 26 and 30 would be at least partiallytranslucent or transparent in whole or part. If such a handle 164 wereprovided, it could be part of a film, such as central film 28 as shown,or an entirely separate piece attached in some way, such as via heat oradhesive. Handle 164 could need to be made of a more robust and/or lessor non-shrinkable film or other material, depending on the size andweight of the package.

FIG. 4G is a perspective view of an alternate package 270 includingheat-shrunken holder 170 and articles 102, as in FIG. 2C, wherein theholder extends along the entire side surfaces and at least partiallyonto the top and bottom surfaces of the articles. Thus, as shown, thearticles 102 are substantially wrapped and secured in three dimensionsusing holder 170.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of an alternate package 280 including aheat-shrunken holder 180 and articles102, wherein the holder holdsarticles in a two by six arrangement. Thus, it should be understood thatvarious arrangements of articles is possible. For example, as furthershown in FIG. 5B alternate package 290 includes a heat-shrunken holder190 and articles 102, wherein the holder holds articles in a three byfour, twelve-pack arrangement. Such arrangement can be achieved invarious ways, and in various steps as mentioned above. As shown herein,the package 290 is essentially equivalent to two side-by-side six packpackages 200, with an added film layer 292 therebetween. Layer 292 couldbe applied via heat and/or adhesive. Alternatively, the entire twelvearticle holder 190 could be constructed in one pass on a modifiedversion of line 10 a.

FIGS. 6A-6C show enlarged views of an alternate holder 300 and articles302, in this case bottles. Holder 300 is made from four sheets of film,324, 326, 328, 330. Holder 300 may be formed from a blank holding aplurality of such holders, separable along perforations, such asperforations 44 discussed above. Separation of holders 300 results intwo edges 322 at each end of the holder. As shown, holder 300 has eightopenings 332 for receiving the articles 302, although as discussedabove, practically any number could be employed. Other openings 333 arecreated by the manufacturing process, but these are not necessarilysized to accept articles 302, or at least articles of the same size.FIG. 6B shows eight articles 302 in openings 332 of holder 300 beforeheat shrinking FIG. 6C shows unitized package 400 after heat shrinking.As with FIGS. 2B and 2C above, heat-shrinking can cause the articles 302to be pulled together in two perpendicular dimensions, helping ensure asolid unitized package 400. Adjacent articles 302 all have film betweentheir sides, as above, and each article is again packaged in its ownheat-shrunken opening so that individual containers are readily removedwithout damaging the integrity of the rest of the package.

Holder 300 beneficially includes sheets of substantially equal lengthbetween edges 322. Such equal sheet length allows holder 300 or a blankof multiple holders to lie flat or be readily rolled. In someapplications, such abilities may be desirable, as compared to theholders described above.

It should be understood that although holder 300 is illustrated ashaving four sheets and eight openings, various different sizes arepossible. For example, holder 300 could have two sheets holding a lineargrouping of articles, or could have six or eight sheets, holding widergroupings.

FIG. 7 is a top view of a section through heat-shrunken holder 300, withthe articles removed for clarity. As seen, shrinking helps draw theeight containers in to form a unitized shape, with all adjacentcontainers having at least one buffering piece of film between them forprotection. Since the amount of film used from films 324-330 is somewhatequal, the resulting package is somewhat symmetrical.

Based on the size and shape of the articles to be packaged, theoperation of forming zone as shown in FIG. 1A and the filling zone inFIG. 1B can be readily modified to form holder 300. For example, an evennumber of film supply rolls could be used, and the spreaders and sealerscould be arranged as needed to form the desired configuration. It wouldbe possible to first join two films to form an initial blank having onerow of openings for articles, and then to join two or more of thoseblanks so as to create a package having more than one row. It would alsobe possible to join the films using a heat sealer while joining theblanks using an adhesive, or vice versa. The ultimate processes andmachinery will depend on the desired package shape.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show two modifications to package 400 including handles.In FIG. 8A, package 410 includes a handle 464, similar to that shownabove. Handle 464 may extend from one of the sheets forming holder 300′or may be an added sheet. In FIG. 8B, handle 564 of package 420 isattached to an outer sheet of holder 300″. Handle 564 may be attached atany location via heat sealing or adhesive. Either handle may be made ofshirnkable or nonshrinkable plastic or other materials, as desired.Handle 564 may also extend further around package for a more securehold, if desired.

Various types of films may be used for the holders' films and handles,such as commercially available heat-shrink films, such as polyethylene(LLDPE, LDPE, HDPE), PVC, polypropylene, styrene copolymer, or the like.The ultimate material selected and its properties can be selected toachieve the needs of the size, shape, weight, and number of the articlesbeing packaged, the method of shipment, sale and use, etc.

Therefore, it should be understood that the types of holders, packages,and articles utilized with the teachings of the present disclosureshould not be limited to those embodiments shown herein. It should alsobe understood that features of the various embodiments above may berecombined in other ways to achieve still further embodiments within thescope of the present invention.

1. A heat-shrinkable holder for securing a plurality of articles, theholder comprising: a first sheet formed of heat-shrinkable material andhaving a pre-shrinking length; and a second sheet formed ofheat-shrinkable material substantially equal to the first sheetpre-shrinking length, the second sheet being joined to the first sheet,the first sheet and the second sheet joined so as to create at least twoopenings therebetween, each of the openings sized larger than one of thearticles, the first and second sheets being heat-shrinkable to an extentto shrink the openings sufficiently to secure two of the articlestogether into a unit.
 2. The holder of claim 1, wherein the holderincludes two of the first sheets and two of the second sheets joinedtogether in a unit.
 3. The holder of claim 2, wherein the holder isconfigured with a plurality of openings arranged in two rows.
 4. Theholder of claim 2, wherein the holder is configured with six openingsfor securing six articles in a two-by-three arrangement.
 5. The holderof claim 1, wherein the articles do not contact each other directly whensecured.
 6. The holder of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first orsecond sheets includes printed indicia relating to the article.
 7. Theholder of claim 1, wherein the first and second sheets are joined via atleast one of heating or an adhesive.
 8. The holder of claim 1, whereinthe openings have an internal circumference larger than an outercircumference of the article to be placed therein.
 9. The holder ofclaim 1, wherein the holder is formed in a group of separable holdersformed sequentially from the first and second sheets.
 10. The holder ofclaim 9, wherein perforations are provided for separating adjacentholders formed from the first and second sheets.
 11. The holder of claim1, wherein the holder further includes a handle extending from at leastone of the first and second sheets.
 12. The holder of claim 1, whereinthe articles are containers.
 13. The holder of claim 1, wherein at leastone of the first or second sheets includes perforations configured forallowing an article to be removed from the unit after heat shrinking.14. A package of articles comprising: a plurality of articles; a firstsheet formed of heat-shrinkable material and having a pre-shrinkinglength; and a second sheet formed of heat-shrinkable materialsubstantially equal to the first sheet pre-shrinking length, the secondsheet being joined to the first sheet, the first sheet and the secondsheet joined so as to create at least two openings therebetween, each ofthe openings sized larger than one of the articles, the first and secondsheets being heat-shrinkable to an extent to shrink the openingssufficiently to secure two of the articles together into a unit.
 15. Thepackage of claim 14, wherein the articles do not contact each otherdirectly when secured.
 16. The package of claim 14, wherein at least oneof the first or second sheets includes printed indicia relating to thearticle.
 17. The package of claim 14, wherein the first and secondsheets are joined via at least one of heating or an adhesive.
 18. Thepackage of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first or second sheetsincludes perforations configured for allowing an article to be removedfrom the unit after heat shrinking.
 19. A package of articlescomprising: a plurality of articles; and at least four sheets ofheat-shrunken material having substantially equal pre-shrinking lengths,the sheets being joined at a plurality of discrete joinder portionsthereby forming a plurality of openings arranged in at least two rows,each opening sized to secure an article therein, the heat-shrunkenmaterial and articles thereby forming a unitary heat-shrunken packageconfigured with a plurality of articles arranged in at least two rows.20. The package of claim 19, wherein the package is configured so thatthe articles are drawn together in two perpendicular directions by theshrinking.
 21. The package of claim 19, wherein the package isconfigured with a plurality of openings arranged in two-by-fourarrangement.
 22. The package of claim 19, wherein the package isconfigured with six openings for securing six articles in a two-by-threearrangement.
 23. The package of claim 19, wherein the package isconfigured so that articles do not contact each other directly whensecured.
 24. The package of claim 19, wherein at least one of the sheetsincludes printed indicia relating to the article.
 25. The package ofclaim 19, wherein the sheets are joined via at least one of heating oran adhesive.
 26. The package of claim 19, wherein the openings have aninternal circumference contacting an outer circumference of the articleto be placed therein.
 27. The package of claim 19, wherein the packagefurther includes a handle extending from at least one of the sheets. 28.The package of claim 19, wherein the articles are containers.
 29. Thepackage of claim 19, wherein at least one of the sheets includesperforations configured for allowing an article to be removed from theunit.
 30. The package of claim 29, wherein the perforations are arrangedto allow a portion of the at least one sheet to remain on the article.31. A heat-shrinkable holder for securing a plurality of articles, theholder comprising: at least four sheets of heat-shrunken material havingsubstantially equal pre-shrinking lengths, the sheets being joined at aplurality of discrete joinder portions thereby forming a plurality ofopenings arranged in at least two rows, each of the openings sizedlarger than one of the articles, the sheets being heat-shrinkable to anextent to shrink the openings sufficiently to secure two of the articlestogether into a unit having at least two rows of articles.
 32. Theholder of claim 31, wherein the holder is configured with four openingsarranged in two-by-four arrangement.
 33. The holder of claim 31, whereinthe holder is configured with six openings in a two-by-threearrangement.
 34. The holder of claim 31, wherein at least one of thesheets includes perforations configured for allowing an article to beremoved from the unit.
 35. The holder of claim 31, wherein at least oneof the sheets includes printed indicia relating to the article. 36-46.(canceled)